The Gospel of John A Study Guide s.com

[Pages:73]Pastor Ryan Mobley Delta Church 408 S. 5th St. Springfield, Il 62701 217.544.8661

The Gospel of John A Study Guide

Introduction

The man and the gospel he wrote

There are no more controversial books in the bible than the 4 gospels; and the most controversial is the Gospel According to John, the subject of this study. It is radically different in its approach and its content of the life of Jesus than the others gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (commonly called the `synoptic' gospel, which literally means `seeing with the same eyes'). John contains the most unique material and the most theologically dense material of the four gospels. It is also an intensely personal gospel, as we get a glimpse of Jesus the Godman much more intimately than the other three gospels.

Like the other gospels, John was written anonymously and the attachment of John as the author comes from both internal and external evidence. Internal evidence for John's authorship is seen by: 1) personal witness of the events (John 19:35); 2) intimate knowledge of Jesus' interactions with the disciples (John 6:5-7; 12:2-1; 13:3-6; 14:5,8,22); 3) insight into Jesus' thoughts (John 6:6,61,64; 18:4);4) the author being a Palestinian Jew who had first-hand knowledge of Jerusalem and the surrounding country as described throughout the book; and 5) the closing of the gospel telling of the interaction of Jesus with "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (John 21:20). These internal evidences can point only to the inner circle of Jesus, namely, Peter, James, or John. Peter is ruled out because he is referred to constantly in the third person. James is ruled out because he was martyred prior to AD44 (Acts 12:2) which was well before the book was written (typically dated at AD85). So by process of elimination, we end up with John (known as "the evangelist"). External evidence also points to John's authorship, as the earliest traditions of the church claimed John as the scribe. Iraneous bishop of Lyons (c. 180), Theophilus of Antioch (c. 165), Clement of Alexandria (c. 220), and the 4th Century historian Eusebius all credited John as the author.

We are first introduced to John in Mark 1:19 as Jesus is calling his first disciples. His father was Zebedee, and his brother James was also one of the first disciples. John is typically viewed as a young, gentle, maybe even effeminate man famously known for being the disciple that Jesus loved and leaning on Jesus, as mentioned in John 21:20. When in actuality, John and his brother James were a couple of testosterone-filled hotheads nicknamed the "Sons of Thunder" (Mark 3:17) who wanted to call fire down on a town that wouldn't listen to Jesus (Luke 9:5156)! It would seem that John and his brother came by their personalities honestly, as it was their mother who asked Jesus if her sons could alongside Jesus (Matthew 20:20-28), and John and his brother were all for the idea.

But we get the best picture of John as we read his writings. John penned a total of 5 books of the Bible: The Gospel According to John; 1, 2, and 3 John; and the book of Revelation. All of these books were written toward the end of John's life. As mentioned earlier, his Gospel is generally believed to have been written around AD85, with his other writings following over the next decade (Revelation is believed to have been written no later that AD96 while John was

imprisoned on the island of Patmos). In John's writings, we still see his zeal and passion that his nickname "Son of Thunder" would imply, but this passion has been redirected away from calling judgment down from heaven and ruling alongside Jesus to an intense love for Jesus and the people of Jesus' Church. We will see in John's Gospel that he is a deep theologian, but that his theology is fueled by a deep love for his Savior and Lord. This is a great example to us, as Paul encourages us in 1 Corinthians 13 to let love be the motivator for everything we do, lest all our words, knowledge, and theology be a noisy, clanging cymbal.

The Gospel of John can be broken down into 4 simple parts: 1) The Prologue (1:1-18); 2) Jesus' Ministry (1:19-11:57); 3) The Passion Week (12:1-20:29); and 4) The Epilogue (20:30-21:25). Additionally, we see John making a pretty big deal about the number "7". The number 7 is traditionally viewed as a number of completeness or perfection. In the Gospel of John, there are 2 main sets of "7" to pay attention to: Jesus' 7 Miracles (2:1-12; 4:43-54; 5:1-47; 6:1-15; 6:16-21; 9:1-41; and 11:1-57) and Jesus' 7 "I Am" Statements (6:35,51; 8:12; 10:7,9; 10:11,14; 11:25; 14:6; and 15:1). Keeping these general breakdowns of John's Gospel in mind will help your reading and studying of The Gospel of John.

John's purpose in writing this Gospel is made very clear in John 20:31 "but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." John's desire was to see people come to faith in Jesus, and that those who are saved will live a full life as God intended (cf. John 10:10). It is imperative to understand that being a Christ-follower is much more than some decision or understanding of biblical principles, but that being a Christ-follower is about a joy-filled life we live that is saturated with the worship of Jesus and service to others.

How to use this study guide

This study guide is designed to be a complementary learning tool that will correspond to the sermon series "God on Mission: The Gospel of John". You may choose to use this study guide for your personal devotion time or as part of your study and discussion for your community group experience, or both! Since it is designed to complement the sermon series, it is highly encouraged that you listen to the sermons, take notes, and incorporate them into this study. If you miss any sermons on a Sunday morning, you will be able to download the audio from the Delta Church website (). Each study in this guide will be broken down as follows:

? An overview of the passage, giving you a broad brushstroke of what's being communicated

? The key text (verse) of the particular passage that is encouraged to be memorized that week

? The primary theological emphasis of the passage; basically, what the passage is teaching us about God

? 3-4 questions to think about and interact with

? A key missional emphasis on how to live, serve, and share the Gospel with others

? A prayer emphasis that will encourage your adoration, confession, or supplication to Jesus...and remember, prayer is about talking and listening to God!

It is my prayer that this study guide will be a blessing to you both personally and corporately. I look forward to diving headfirst into The Gospel of John with you to take a good long look at the life of Jesus and discover how we can deepen our belief and love for our great Savior & Leader. If at any time you have a question or a thought, please don't hesitate to contact me so we can learn together!

Grace+Peace to you on your journey,

Pastor Ryan ryan@ 217-544-8661

Study #1 ? Mission: Incarnation John 1:1-18

Overview

The first 18 verses of John are some of the most glorious verses in all of scripture! We could spend the rest of our lives on these verses; they are so rich and deep. The main thrust of this passage is to show the eternal greatness of Jesus. There are obvious parallels with Genesis 1 both in the phrase "In the beginning" (Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1). John immediately paints for us a picture of the deity of Christ, showing him as equal with God the Father and as Creator.

We also see both the transcendence and the imminence of God in this passage. Jesus is bigger than we could ever imagine, yet he is closer than we could ever understand. It is a wonderful combination of glory and grace!

We are also introduced to John the Baptizer, whom we will take a closer look at in the next study. John the Baptizer was given the privilege as the herald, or forerunner, of Jesus who clearly understood his position in relation to Christ (1:15).

Generally, this passage can be broken up as follows: The Greatness of Christ (v. 1-3); the Greatness of Christ's Light (v. 4-13); and the Greatness of Christ's Grace (v. 14-18). It's all about His Greatness!

Key Text to Memorize

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth."

Theology to know

Logos. "Logos" is Greek for `Word'; here referring to Jesus himself. There are three main thrusts in Jesus as the `Word': 1) John 1:1-3 shows Jesus as eternal, as Creator, and as equal with God; 2) "Logos" implies that there is a message to be shared (namely the Gospel of Jesus); and 3) given John's frequent quotes and allusions to the Old Testament (which we'll begin to see) he ties in the previous two thrusts as God created through his word (Genesis 1:3ff) and spoke to and through his Prophets (Isaiah 7:3; Jeremiah 1:4); Ezekiel 1:6) by his word (Hebrew, dabar).

Zoe. "Zoe" is Greek for `Life'. This is also a key factor for the Fourth Gospel. We see Jesus living ? he walks, talks, gets frustrated & angry, cries, mourns, etc. And as Jesus came to live the life that God desires and empowers us to do through His Spirit, we see that being a Christ-follower is much more about the lifestyle we live rather than a decision we make or belief we say we have (cf. John 20:31 & James 1:22; 2:20).

Incarnation. Christianity is unique because it is the only religion where our God came down from heaven to embody himself as man (John 1:14; Philippians 2:1-11). Because of Jesus was not born of man (he had no earthly father), Jesus was born without a sin nature, which is passed on through the father (Romans 5:12) and was therefore the only One able to be the unblemished sacrificial Lamb who could take away our sin (John 1:29).

Questions to think about and discuss

1. What are the practical implications of Jesus being the "Word"? How does this affect one's view on creation?

2. Do you view your Christianity as a decision that you made at some point in your past, or as a way of living? What does this understanding of being a Christ-follower mean to you?

3. John 1:12 makes a point in saying we "receive" Jesus. How does this differ from the common term of "accepting" Jesus as Savior?

4. Why is the incarnation so important?

5. What is the best way to truly get to know the character of God (see John 1:18)?

Living on Mission

The `Word' is to be both verbally shared and practically lived out. Who are some people that God has put in your life to speak and live the Gospel to?

Prayer Emphasis

Meditate on John 1:16. Reflect on all the ways Jesus has shown you grace. Praise him for being the Eternal God who came to earth and has shown you tremendous grace!

Study #2 ? Mission: Prepare John 1:19-34

Overview

We are introduced to John the Baptist in this passage. A more appropriate title for John would be "The Baptizer" instead of "Baptist" (there were no denominations then!). John was a relative of Jesus, perhaps his cousin, as John's mother Elizabeth and Jesus' mother Mary were related (Luke 1:5-45). John was chosen by God to be the first prophet Israel had seen in 400 years whose call was to prepare Israel for the coming of the Messiah (Luke 1:16-17; John 1:23).

John was very clear in knowing and proclaiming that he was not the Christ, but only the forerunner of the Christ. As bold as John was in his message, he was a very humble man before the Lord. It was this balanced mix of calling, self-awareness, boldness, and humbleness that led Jesus to dub John the greatest man ever born (Luke 7:28).

We are also introduced to some key groups of people. First, we meet the Jews. In this passage, it is practical to think that John's use of the term "Jews" is not referring to the entire people group, but rather the religious establishment in Jerusalem ? either the Sanhedrin (70 `elders' who acted as a kind of Supreme Court in Jerusalem, with the high priest being an ex offico member that sat in a presidential-type of position) or perhaps the temple authorities. Secondly, we meet the priests and Levites. Their primary concern was theological purity and the administration of the rituals and service of the temple. Lastly, in verse 24, we meet the Pharisees. The Pharisees were a religious class that rose to power during the "400 Silent Years" from the time of Malachi until the time of John the Baptizer. They were strict traditionalists who found pleasure in making sure every letter of the Law was followed, valuing outward religiosity over honest faith. It was the Pharisees that Jesus would speak most vehemently against (Matthew 15:1-9; Matthew 23).

Although John 1:29-34 doesn't go into detail about Jesus' baptism, we see from looking at the other Gospel accounts that this was the time when Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). Until this time, it was unknown to John who the Messiah was (even though Jesus was his relative!). When Jesus was baptized with water by John, the Holy Spirit came to rest on Jesus in the form of a dove, revealing to John that Jesus was indeed the Messiah. John baptized people with water as a sign of repentance, but it is Jesus who baptizes people with the Holy Spirit at their conversion (Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:4-7; John 15:26).

Key Text to Memorize

John 1:29 `The next day he (John) saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"'

Theology to know

Baptism. "Baptizo" (Greek) means to "dip in or plunge under the water". Baptism is a sacrament of the church that identifies those who are Christ-followers. Baptism is not a saving act (one is saved by grace through faith-Ephesians 2:8,9), but it is an act of obedience to Jesus (Matthew 28:19) and an act of identification with Jesus, as He Himself was baptized (Mark 1:911). Baptism should follow one's belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:36-38).

Lamb of God. In the Old Testament, the sacrifice of a lamb to take away sin is seen frequently (e.g., Genesis 4:4, 8:20, 22:2-8; Exodus 12:21-27). Jesus being the "Lamb of God" is seen four times in the New Testament (John 1:29, 36; Acts 8:32; 1 Peter 1:19). In these passages, it is Jesus' sacrificial character that is referred to. While in the book of Revelation, Jesus is presented as "Lamb", but now it is a triumphal title, memorializing the completion of his sacrificial work. Jesus was the only perfect Lamb that could permanently atone for our sin once and for all.

Questions to think about and discuss

1. John had a clear understanding of who he was and what his purpose was. Do you have that kind of clarity in your life? What are some issues or events that caused you confusion or have given you clarity?

2. In verses 19-34, John's eyes are suddenly opened to Jesus as the Messiah, the Lamb of God who takes away sin. Tell about when your eyes were opened to Jesus as your Messiah.

3. John's purpose was to prepare people for the first coming of Jesus. How can you personally, and we as the church, prepare people for the second coming of Jesus?

Living on Mission

If you haven't been baptized already, follow Jesus' example and obey his command and get baptized! As you live the Gospel out to those who do not yet know Jesus, proclaim Jesus as the Lamb of God, the only one who can take away sin and reconnect people to God the Father.

Prayer Emphasis

Meditate on John 1:29. Confess to Jesus sins that you are committing, receive the forgiveness that he has given you, and thank him for taking away your sin!

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